The invention relates to an apparatus for closing an air gap between a flap and an aircraft, for example, between a main flap hingedly attached to an edge of an aircraft wing and the aircraft body.
When an aerodynamically effective surface such as a steering control flap hinged to the wings of an aircraft or to the tail unit of an aircraft is moved out of its normal position into a deflected position, an air gap is formed between the adjacent aircraft portion, such as the fuselage, and the main flap. Such air gap diminishes the efficiency or effect of the main flap deflection. It is known from German Pat. (DE-PS) No. 1,506,615 to close the upstream air gap resulting from a deflection of a steering flap between the flap and the wing by means of an auxiliary flap. Such auxiliary flaps arranged along a wing edge do not solve the problem of sealing the lateral air gap between the aircraft body and the main flap.